Farin Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 [big]Germany Gets First Ever Autobahn Speed Limit[/big] [smaller]09.04.2008 dw-world.de[/smaller] For the first time in the country's highway history, a German state has set a speed limit on its Autobahn, rekindling a long-running debate on curbing speed to boost road safety and combat pollution. On Wednesday, April 9, Germany’s smallest state (the city of Bremen) put speed limit signs on the last six of its 60 kilometers (37 miles) of highway, limiting car traffic to 120 km per hour (75 miles per hour). “Our goal is to achieve an overall speed limit in Germany, together with other German states,†said Bremen’s top environment politician, Reinhard Loske. “This is a great day for traffic safety and sends a signal for environmental protection,†he added. The Green Party politician also said he would start talks with his counterparts in other states about introducing a national highway speed limit. Activists cite environment, safety “The danger of serious accidents involving personal injury is reduced wherever there is a speed limit,†Loske said. Speed limits are not only good for the environment -- at lower speeds, cars burn less fuel, expelling fewer greenhouse gas emissions -- but they protect people, statistics show. German highways often have speed limits for noise reduction, where traffic is heavy, or at junctions. Currently, a little over half of German highways have no speed limits around Germany. But the debate over a general speed limit on the German Autobahn (the word simply means “highway†in German) is an ongoing one. Proponents demand an overall limit of 120 or 130 kilometers per hour, citing environmental and safety reasons. This past autumn, German environmental organizations and an alliance of police experts called “Pro-Tempolimit†got together to demand a speed limit. Public opinion is divided But German automobile clubs as well as the German automobile industry -- known for its heavy, fast and well-engineered vehicles, and the motor of a chunky segment of the German economy -- oppose speed limits. Chancellor Angela Merkel also came out on the side of the auto industry, in opposition to speed limits. Public opinion is nearly evenly divided on the issue. DW staff (jen) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 LAME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 Out of curiosity , about how many are killed per year in speeding related accidents on the autobahns , Farin ? Japan has generally unenforced speed limit highways as well , and as both my wife ( aka : leadfoot ) and myself are counting on German engineering now , I'd like to know ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted April 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 I found a table about that in the german wikipedia: number of deaths per billion vehicle kilometers (2005) Country [tab] Autobahn/highway [tab] all streets [tab] speedlimit Finland [tab] 1.9 [tab] 7.3 [tab] 120 km/h 75mphGermany [tab] 3.1 [tab] 7.8 [tab] n/aFrance [tab] 2.7 [tab] 9.6 [tab] 130 (80)UK [tab] 2.1 [tab] 6.8 [tab] 112 (70)Ireland [tab] 7.4 [tab] 10.9 [tab] 120 (75)Japan [tab] 3.3 [tab] 10.3 [tab] 100 (62)Sweden [tab] 2.5 [tab] 5.9 [tab] 110 (68)Czech Republic [tab] 7.2 [tab] 25.5 [tab] 130 (80)USA [tab] 5.0 [tab] 9.0 [tab] 97-129 (60 - 80) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 ^ Thanks for that . Hmmm , not all that different ( with the exception of the Czechs ) , and surprising low all around . I'd theorize that the higher street deaths in Japan would have something to do with many of the lighter /small cars that get into accidents . Air bags aside , many really resemble crushed beer cans after an accident which can't add much to survivability . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTyme Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 Last respects to no speed limit... Autobahn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 Last respects to no speed limit... Autobahn Aaauuuuuu...tooooooooo...baaaaahhhhh...nnnnnnnnn Aaauuuuuu...tooooooooo...baaaaahhhhh...nnnnnnnnn Wir fahrn, fahrn, fahrn auf der Autobahn Classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 When I arrived in Germay in 1966 I was amazed at many things too numerous to mention here, but....Automotively speaking: 1-My first taxi-cab ride...all the cars were Mercedes Benz's and immaculate and all the drivers drove like maniacs. 2-Where I was stationed in the Black Forest there were many winding mountain roads and unbelievably tight hair-pin curves that drivers took at incredibly high speeds. 3-Gas was .79cents per liter when it was only .19 cents per gallon in the States. 4-When I first drove on the autobahn I thought some nut was trying to kill me. I was doing 90mph and this idiot was riding about 5 feet off of my rear bumper. Then I noticed that other drivers were doing this to me also. Then I noticed that they did it to everyone. Later I was told that they drive so close behind because they are drafting to save gas. Freakin' nuts!! Soon I was doing the same thing. I never saw a single accident and I never forgot to drive in the left-hand lane of traffic. Sheesh! How did I ever survive Germany? Ahh, but that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 taxi's are still mostly Mercedes in Northern Germany we - obviously - don't have such serpentines, but our strip of land is famous for it's avenues gas is still much more expensive then in the US they were "drafting to save gas"? in the 60s? I never heard that before, and I don't think I would believe that even nowadays... my first guess would be that you simply were too slow for their tastes... some people (I won't call them sane) like to drive with 120, 130 or more MPH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTyme Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 that's another story. Aren't they all, dear friend, aren't they all? Still, we're all waiting for a grand conclusion to the other story. And no, I don't eat squid* *Someone once mentioned to Unc. J that they had baited breath . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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